Astronomers compile a large sample of an unusual class of objects in an effort to connect the dots to the early universe. Shortly after NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope began its science operations, astronomers encountered an unexpected discovery in the data: small, red objects scattered across the distant, early universe. These intriguing phenomena, now referred to as “little red dots” (LRDs), remain poorly understood, raising fresh questions and inspiring new theories about the processes shaping the universe’s infancy.